Dispensing system for delivering customized quantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements and flavor in a single and multi-serve configurations

ABSTRACT

A system and method for delivery of a beverage with a customized quantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements in real time having a beverage delivery apparatus with a plurality of storage compartments. Each of the storage compartments configured to contain at least one seed capsule that contains the dietary and nutraceutical supplements. The dispensing apparatus for delivering a beverage with customized quantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements and flavor in single and/or multi-serve configurations is also provided. The system further has a cloud-based data center with a nutrient recommendation engine configured to create a personalized nutrient mix regimen profile and to provide specific recommendation to a user.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.15/662,422, filed on Jul. 28, 2017; the entire content of which ishereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to customized dietary product dispensingsystems and, more particularly, to a dispensing system for deliveringcustomized quantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements, and to amethod of using the dispensing system.

Description of the Background Art

Healthcare is undergoing a technological transformation, and it isimperative for the industry to leverage new technologies to collect,track, and transform consumer digital health data into meaningful andactionable insight to create engagement. The need for consumerengagement in the healthcare industry has never been higher. A catalystis needed to bridge the divide in digital health, and that catalyst isdietary supplements.

Today, there are more than 200 million Americans who regularly consumedietary supplements. However, these supplements lack personalization,and their “one-size-fits-all” approach causes many consumers to fail toachieve the desired health benefits by either taking the ineffectivedosage, or simply supplements that do not achieve the desired effectsand/or results.

To understand what products will be most beneficial and how to addressthe specific health issues, many consumers have turned to the Internet.

Through the Internet, individuals may seek out health and nutritioninformation to educate themselves about a healthier personal lifestyleand use this detailed information to make informed purchase decisions.However, even with the availability of this information through theInternet, it is very difficult for individual consumers to navigatethrough the myriad of health studies and decide what they should andshould not consume. Furthermore, many consumers dismiss such importanthealth information and resort to consuming eight, twelve, or eveneighteen pills a day just to ensure that they are receiving sufficientamounts of vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants from generalizedformula supplements made for the average person.

Unfortunately, taking these generalized formula supplements made for theaverage person means ingesting binders, excessive fillers, andlubricants, as well as micronutrients in each menu of pills. Thesevarious pills are often difficult to locate for purchase, are hard toswallow and may contain some vitamins or minerals that are not needed ormay not have enough of what is in fact needed. In turn, this leads manyindividuals to give up on their personal supplement program before thetwo or three months it takes for such programs to realize their fullhealth potential.

Moreover, there is no readily accessible or reliable way for consumersto measure the effectiveness of their dietary supplements. Withoutknowing if their supplements are having the intended effects, millionsof people are habitually consuming the same supplements without knowingwhether taking the supplements have any effect on their health and/orfitness goals.

Monitoring the nutrients contained in the consumed nutrition and/orsupplements is often considered difficult or laborious. In some cases,it may also be difficult for people to monitor the nutrient contents inthe consumed food and/or drink or other substances contained in foods,and medicaments, which may, for example, cause illnesses or makeallergies worse. For example, people may have difficulties inremembering or generally in knowing all nutrients harmful for them, inwhich case, for example when shopping, it may be difficult for a personto know the suitability of a certain product for him or her. Especially,if one thinks of the overall effect of nutrients acquired in one day oreven one week, it is almost impossible to find out the suitability,goodness and/or effect of a certain foodstuff in relation to the overalleffect of nutrients obtained in one day or one week.

On the other hand, dietary supplement and food manufacturers arespending billions of dollars every year on research and development,product testing, and acquiring data to improve their products andincrease sales. However, despite their exorbitant spending, there is noreliable method for collecting post-market product usage data after theinitial point of sale of the products. More importantly, it isessentially impossible to obtain real-world effectiveness data ofdietary supplements and food products on a large scale. In other words,the nutrient supplement and food brands are not able to determine iftheir products are having the intended effects on their customers.

In addition, the healthcare system has been focused on responding toalready occurring health events like illness, chronic condition onset,and injury. In more recent times, however, this reactive model of healthcare has been mitigated by putting more emphasis on illness and injuryprevention.

The focus on prevention has been directed toward medical screening forearly detection of illness and on identification of individuals who maybe at-risk for a particular condition, based on an assessment of riskfactors/predisposition to certain illnesses, such as genetic screening,or in alternative, life style choices, such as nutrition intake andlevel of physical activity. The acquired parameters can be transmittedto a processing unit for subsequent analysis, with feedback beingprovided to a healthcare provider or consumer to allow for earlydetection of an illness.

Moreover, lifestyle choices like nutrition, physical activity andfitness play a significant role in the overall health and wellness of anindividual. For a number of chronic conditions such as diabetes, theability to adhere to recommended lifestyles choices in terms ofnutrition and physical fitness plays a significant role in maintainingthe quality of life and keeping the chronic conditions under control.Currently, however, consumers do not have many resources that allow themto manage the aspects of their health and wellness outside of clinicalenvironments, including nutrition, fitness/physical activity levels, aswell as in home medical and vitals measurement (i.e., measurement ofphysiological parameters).

Therefore, a need exists for a system and method that integrates into aeasy to use and understand personalized health and wellness managementsystem that is capable of capturing and tracking health and wellnessdata, which encompasses each of physiological data, nutritional data,and physical activity data for a consumer. A need also exists for adigitally customizable dispensing system for dietary and nutraceuticalsupplements to be dispensed to a consumer based on the real-time healthand wellness data.

Even further, for many years publications and supermarket checkoutstands listed approximate calorie/fat/sodium, and other content ofgeneric, and sometimes brand-name items. These counts were used tomonitor diet and required the consumers to look up the food item,estimate serving size and determine the nutritional values found for thefood item or nutrition supplement. The FDA now requires labeling of foodand nutritional products with specific nutrition facts. This allowed theconsumer to gain a more precise estimation of nutrition intake by usingnutrition values determined specifically for the products in question.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to disclose a digitallycustomizable dispensing system for dietary and nutraceutical supplementsthat autonomously elects, adjusts, recommends and dispenses customizednutrients based on scientifically and digitally validated modularalgorithm contingent upon consumer's real-time digitally-generatedhealth and wellness data, and a method of using such dispensing system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a system for delivering customizedquantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements to a user having abeverage delivery apparatus and a nutrient recommendation engine fordetermining nutrition recommendation parameters of the dietary andnutraceuticals supplements that are required to achieve a user'spredetermined goals.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure the beveragedelivery apparatus comprises a plurality of storage compartments. Eachof the storage compartments configured to receive at least one canisterthat contains the dietary and nutraceutical supplements. The beveragedelivery apparatus further includes a receiving chamber that isconfigured to receive the dietary and/or nutraceutical supplements fromthe canister. The receiving chamber allows for an access to a liquidthat facilitates blending the dietary and nutraceutical supplements withthe liquid to make a customized consumable beverage that contains thespecific formulation of dietary and nutraceutical supplements suppliedby the canisters.

Adjacent to the beverage delivery apparatus or, in alternative, a partof the beverage delivery apparatus may also have a container configuredto provide the liquid into the receiving chamber.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a dispensing apparatusfor delivering a beverage with customized quantities of dietary andnutraceutical supplements and flavor in single and/or multi-serveconfigurations is provided. The apparatus comprises a plurality ofdispensing units configured to deliver a mixture of the dietary andnutraceutical supplements. In addition, the apparatus includes asingle-serve assembly configured to dispense a single serving of thedietary and nutraceutical supplements into the beverage. At least oneflavoring component configured to deliver a flavored ingredient to thebeverage is also provided. The apparatus may further include a liquidcontainer and a cup.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user data comprisesgender, age, weight, height genetic data, bioenergy and nutrientsconsumption, bioenergy and nutrients intake, and other health data. Theuser data may also include levels of physical activity and physicalfitness data. Moreover, at least some user data is collected inreal-time by a monitoring device connected to a cloud-based data centerwith at least one computer program. Additionally, some of the user datamay be provided directly by the user input via a monitoring and/ordiagnostic device or a user interface of the beverage deliveryapparatus.

The nutrition recommendation parameters of the dietary andnutraceuticals supplements are based on the user data and preset and/orpredetermined user's goals and parameters, and determined by thenutrient recommendation engine and communicated to a controller of thedispensing system. Upon the user's confirmation, the beverage deliveryapparatus then dispenses customized quantities of dietary andnutraceutical supplements in the customized consumable beverage.

The nutrient recommendation engine may comprise a set of executableinstructions such as in the form of software, routines, programs,algorithms, code, logic and the like, which would, for example,facilitate the determination of the customized consumable beverage thatcontains the specific formulation of dietary and nutraceuticalsupplements.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cloud-based data centeris connected to one or more monitoring device that generates the userdata and communicates the user data to the cloud-based data center. Theuser data is also generated by the user input through, for example, themonitoring device, mobile device or a user interface of the beveragedelivery apparatus.

The cloud-based data center further comprises the nutrientrecommendation engine configured to create a personalized nutrient mixregimen profile and to provide specific recommendation of a mix ofdietary and/or nutraceutical supplements based on the personalizednutrient mix regimen profile of the user and the user data, some ofwhich is collected and transmitted to the cloud-based data center inreal-time. The user data comprises information on profiling, biometricsdata, direct and indirect input on food consumption, nutritional goalsand activities.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to calculate theprecise quantity of nutrients the user's body requires to achieve theuser's goals (e.g. preset parameters), the nutrient recommendationengine may utilize the Nutrient Balance Concept (NBC). In addition,

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a modified NBC, MixfitBalance Concept (MBC) may be used in order to calculate the precisequantity of nutrients. NBC score is modified by integrating specificenergy (Kcal) and nutrients (mg) derived from onboarding process orother means from the user such as wearable devices.

The cloud-based data center is also configured to receive automaticreal-time updates of the user data from at least one monitoring device,communicate the updated user data to the nutrient recommendation engine,and determine the specific updated recommendation for the personalizedmix of the dietary and nutraceutical supplements, which is thendispensed by dispensing apparatus upon the user's confirmation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawingswhich are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitiveof the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1: is a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of asystem for delivering customized quantities of dietary and nutraceuticalsupplements to a user according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2: is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a beveragedelivery apparatus according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A: is a prospective view of an exemplary embodiment of adispensing unit of the beverage delivery apparatus according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 3B: is a prospective view of an exemplary embodiment of a measuringassembly of the beverage delivery apparatus according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3C: is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the dispensingunit together with the measuring assembly of the beverage deliveryapparatus according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4: is an illustration of a combination beverage delivery apparatusaccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5A: is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a single-serveassembly of a combination beverage delivery apparatus according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5B: is a prospective view of an exemplary embodiment of thesingle-serve assembly of the combination beverage delivery apparatusaccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5C: illustrates prospective views of the housing of an exemplaryembodiment of the single-serve assembly of the combination beveragedelivery apparatus according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 6: is an illustration of a capsule assembly of the combinationbeverage delivery apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 7: is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a dispensingunit of the combination beverage delivery apparatus according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 8: is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a dosing screwof the combination beverage delivery apparatus according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 9: is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a flavoringcomponent of the combination beverage delivery apparatus according tothe present disclosure; and

FIG. 10: depicts a flowchart of a method of delivering a customizeddietary and nutraceutical supplements to a user according to the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description andrelated drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention.Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the scope ofthe invention. Additionally, well-known elements of the invention willnot be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure therelevant details of the invention.

The word “nutraceutical” is a term that is used to describe any productderived from food sources with extra health benefits in addition to thebasic nutritional value found in foods. Such products may preventchronic diseases, improve health, delay the aging process, increase lifeexpectancy, or support the structure or function of the body.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example,instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as“exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term “embodiments ofthe invention” does not require that all embodiments of the inventioninclude the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of embodiments ofthe invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the”are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the contextclearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that theterms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes” and/or “including”, whenused herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude thepresence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps,operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The present invention is directed to a system 100 for delivering ofcustomized quantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements to auser. One aspect of the present disclosure, schematically depicted inFIG. 1, can be understood from the system 100 for delivering ofcustomized quantities of the dietary and nutraceutical supplements tothe user, comprising: a cloud-base data center 58, a nutrientrecommendation engine 55 that communicates with the user interface 52,and a beverage delivery apparatus 10. The beverage delivery apparatus 10further includes a user interface 52.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the system 100 furthercomprises a user identification component 57 in communication with thenutrient recommendation engine 55 and the cloud-base data center 58.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user identificationcomponent 57 is use of a personal profile every time the user interactswith the system 100. During the onboarding process the user creates hisor her own profile through the user interface 52 or another device thatis submitted to the cloud-based data center 58 by the user, providinginformation on profiling, biometrics data, nutritional goals, activitiesand the like. All subsequent interactions by the user with the system100 trigger the user identification throughout his/her unique profile.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the nutrient recommendationengine 55 is hosted on the beverage delivery apparatus 10.Alternatively, the nutrient recommendation engine 55 is hosted remotelyon the cloud-base data center 58.

The nutrient recommendation engine 55 configured to create apersonalized nutrient mix regimen profile and to provide specificrecommendation of a mix of dietary and/or nutraceutical supplementsbased on the personalized nutrient mix regimen profile of the user andthe user data, some of which is collected and transmitted to thecloud-based data center in real-time.

The user data comprises information on profiling, biometrics data,direct and indirect input on food consumption, nutritional goals andactivities.

The cloud-base data center 58 may contain data of the dietary andnutraceutical supplements, the user identification, the user data, userpreferences, and the like.

The beverage delivery apparatus according to this disclosure alsoincludes a controller 500 that is configured to receive commands from,for example, the nutrient recommendation engine 55, and to communicatewith, for example, a dispensing units of the beverage deliveryapparatus. The controller may be configured to compare the user datareceived from the data center 58 with parameters provided by thenutrient recommendation engine or preset by the user.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 500 may beimplemented as a processor, microprocessor, digital signal processor orany other logic circuit or combination of circuits providing controlconnections. The controller 500 is the link between the data center 58and a software application, for example, the user interface 52 or amobile application on the user's wireless device, e.g., mobile phone,tablet, or personal computer). Each time the new user data becomesavailable, the parameters of the recommendation, time of recommendation,nutrient ingredient, amount, coupling factors are affected. This isdetermined by the modular algorithm powering the nutrient recommendationengine 55. The algorithm can account for 200+ data points. 1 or all datapoints can affect the recommendation. The user can accept, decline orsubstitute the nutrients recommended.

FIG. 2 shows the beverage delivery apparatus 10 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. The beverage delivery apparatus 10has a plurality of storage compartments 12. The storage compartments 12may be located on both sides of the apparatus 10 and/or on a top portionof the apparatus 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1. It is preferred that theapparatus 10 has at least nine storage compartments 12.

Each of the storage compartments 12 configured to contain at least onecanister 14 that contains the dietary and nutraceutical supplements.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the canister 14 has a uniqueidentifier, for example, RFID strip or barcode) that can be read bysensors 11 (not shown) in the storage compartments 12 of the apparatus10. When the canister 14 is inserted into the storage compartments 12the sensor 11 reads the unique identification code on the identifier andthen transmits the code to the data center 58. A software programapplication will then attempt to match the identification code with acontainer code registered in a code database of the data center 58. Ifthere is no match, canister 14 is rejected. On the other hand, if theidentification code matches the container the software programdetermines what type of nutrients are in the canister 14, and whetherthe contents of the canister 14 are safe to be consumed (e.g. whetherthe supplements contained in the canister 14 have been recalled,expired, or if the code was already registered/used). If the softwareprogram determines that the supplements do not meet all the presetrequirements, the canister 14 will be rejected. If the software programdetermines that the supplements meet all the preset parameters, then thecanister 14 will be registered to the user's specific apparatus andready to be used.

The beverage delivery apparatus 10 further has a receiving chamber 16that is configured to receive the dietary and nutraceutical supplementsfrom the canister 14. The receiving chamber 16 allows for an access to aliquid that facilitates blending the dietary and nutraceuticalsupplements with the liquid to make a consumable beverage that containsthe specific formulation of dietary and nutraceutical supplementssupplied by the canisters 14.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus 10 furtherincludes a container 18. The container 18 is configured to provide aliquid into the receiving chamber 16. In an alternative embodiment, thecontainer 18 can be a standalone unit connected to the receiving chamber16 by conventional means suitable for a delivery of liquid.

In another embodiment if the present disclosure, the receiving chambercan be a cup 16′ that can be removed from the apparatus 10 and used forconsuming the beverage. In this embodiment, the user may add the wateror another liquid directly to the cup 16′. The cup 16′ may also furthercontain a mixer-blender 20 to facilitate mixing of the supplements andliquid and to allow the addition of solid and semi solid product by theuser.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus 10 furthercontains dispensing units 22 shown on FIGS. 3A-3C. Each storagecompartment 12 has the dispensing unit 22. The dispensing unit isconfigured to dispense an amount of the supplements contained in thecanister 14.

The dispensing unit has a top portion 24, a bottom portion 26 and ameasuring assembly 28. The top portion 24 has a first end 30 and thebottom portion 26 has a hinge end 32 and a piercing end 34. The firstend 30 of the top portion 24 connects the top portion 24 to the bottomportion 26 at the hinge end 32 of the bottom portion 26.

As shown on FIGS. 3A-3C, the top portion 24 is configured to receive thecanister 14. The bottom portion 26 has a funneling part 36 configured toreceive and dispense the dietary and nutraceutical supplements containedwithin the canister 14 when the top portion 24, having the canister 14connected with the funneling part 36 of the bottom portion 26, and thedispensing unit 22 mechanically pivots to funnel the dietary andnutraceutical supplements into the receiving chamber 16. The measuringassembly 28 is connected to the dispensing unit 22 at an opening 38.

FIG. 3B shows the measuring assembly 28 according to an embodiment ofthis disclosure. The measuring assembly configured to measure by massand volume the dietary and nutraceutical supplements contained in thecanister 14.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the measuringassembly 28 comprises a motor 40 and an auger screw 42. The motor 40 isconfigured to rotate the auger screw 42 thereby collecting predeterminedof the supplements from the canister by the means of known number ofturns that are needed in order to collect and dispense the exact amountof the supplements into the receiving chamber 16 or the cup 16′

In addition, the numbers of turns of the auger screw 42 are used tocontrol the quantity of the supplements remaining in the canister afterthe predetermined amount of the supplement has been dispensed. Everycanister is pre-registered to allow for only a certain amount of turnsof the auger screw 42. After this number of turns is reached canister 14would no longer be able to dispense the supplements. The user then willremove and replace the consumed canister 14.

It should be understood that other means of measuring the exact amountsof the supplements can be employed according to this disclosure. Forexample, volumetric dosage measuring devices can be employed, as well asthe traditional and multi-head scales. Vibratory and various belt dosingmay also be used.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the present disclosure, acombination beverage delivery apparatus 200. The combination beveragedelivery apparatus 200 dispenses not only a beverage derived from amixture of the dietary and nutraceutical supplements contained inmultiple canisters, but also has a capability for a single-serveoperation.

FIGS. 5A to 5C illustrate a single-serve assembly 220. The single-serveassembly 220 comprises a cylindrical pod 214, shown on FIG. 5B, having aslot 226, a flange 218 and a turn handle 222. The flange 218 isconfigured to fit within a female opening of an insertion slot 230 ofthe apparatus 200. The cylindrical pod 214 contains a single serving ofthe dietary and nutraceutical supplements.

The cylindrical pod 214 is configured to fit within a single-servehousing 224. The single-serve housing 224 has a slit 232.

During the operation, the single-serve assembly 220 is placed into theinsertion slot 230 and is securely fitted within the insertion slot 230via connecting the flange 218 with its female counterpart (not shown) ofthe apparatus 200. The user by rotating the turn handle 222 180° alignsthe slot 226 of the cylindrical pod 214 with the slit 232 of thesingle-serve housing 224, thereby dispensing the dietary andnutraceutical supplements contained in the pod 214 into the cup 216 viadelivery channel (not shown).

Prior to the operation, the user must insert the single-serve assembly220 into an insertion opening 230 of the combination beverage deliveryapparatus 200. In the preferred embodiment the insertion opening 230 islocated in front of the apparatus 230, above the cup 216 to allow forthe direct ingress of the supplements into the cup 216. According to anembodiment of the present disclosure, the single-serve assembly 220 isprovided to the user pre-assembled and containing the single serving ofthe dietary and nutraceutical supplements.

In addition, the combination beverage delivery apparatus 200 can be usedto deliver a beverage that contains the dietary and nutraceuticalsupplements mixture that is derived from multiple of seeds and based ona recommendation of the nutrient recommendation engine 55.

FIG. 4 depicts a flap 236 in an open position exposing dispensing units240 for delivering a mixture of the dietary and nutraceuticalsupplements. The number of the dispensing units 240 is, preferably, fromtwo to nine. The dispensing units 240 can be placed on either or bothsides of the combination beverage delivery apparatus 200 and are coveredby the flap 236.

The apparatus 200 further may include a liquid container 208. Thecontainer 208 is configured to provide a liquid into a cup 216.

FIG. 6 illustrates a capsule assembly 250 for containing and delivery ofa single-serve of the dietary and nutraceutical supplements. The capsuleassembly 250 has a pouch 252 that holds the supplements, anidentification technology 254 and a locking mechanism 256.

An embodiment according to the present disclosure of the dispensing unit240 is shown on FIG. 7. The dispensing unit 240 comprises a drawer 258,a support 274, as well as a first guide 260 and a second guide 262 forreceiving the identification technology 254 and the locking mechanism256, respectively.

Further, the dispensing unit 240 has a folding shutter 264, illustratedin the open position on FIG. 7, for preventing contamination of a dosingscrew 270 shown on FIG. 8. The dosing screw 270 is enclosed within acanister 266 and terminates in a dispensing outlet 268 of the dispensingunit 240. The dispensing unit 240 can be mounted within the apparatus200 via a bracket 272.

During the operation, the user inserts the capsule assembly 250 such waythat the identification technology 254 is channeled through the firstguide 260, and the locking mechanism 256 is guided through the secondguide 262. The identification technology 254 is received by a detector280 that is designed to recognize the content of the pouch 252 based onthe number of teeth 282.

Once the capsule assembly 250 has been inserted as described in thepreceding paragraphs, the user manually pushes the drawer 258 viarailings 284. The identification technology 254 and the detector 280 areconfigured to remain locked during the close position of the drawer 258,while the locking mechanism 256 is configured to slide forward in thedirection “A” illustrated by an arrow on FIG. 7 thereby opening thepouch and releasing its contents on the dosing screw 270.

The drawer 258 by being pushed forward in the direction “A” pushes theshutter 264 into close position to further illuminate any possibility ofthe contamination of the dosing screw 270. The shutter 264 has a spring288 to allow the shutter 264 to move from open to close positions.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 9 illustrate the embodiment of the present disclosurethat includes a flavoring component 290. FIG. 9 shows that the flavoringcomponent 290 that is inserted into the combination beverage deliveryapparatus 200. The flavoring component 290 comprises a flavor housing290 and an exoskeleton 294, which is configured to receive a flavorpouch 296. The flavor pouch 296 contains a flavoring. The flavoring ispreferably in a liquid form. The flavor pouch 296 further has a flavoroutlet 298 with a counter pressure valve and a spring (not shown).

The flavor housing 292 also includes a pressure inlet 297 and a pressurecontrol outlet 299 in order to increase and control pressure to bypassthe counter pressure valve and release the predetermined volume of theflavoring to the cup 216.

Accordingly, when the user requires the apparatus 200 to deliver flavorto the dispensed beverage, the pressure is increased by a pressure pumpthrough a pressure outlet thereby bypassing the counter pressure valveand releasing the flavoring to the cup 216. The pressure pump can be ofany variety of mechanical pumps used for dispensing liquids.

The beverage delivery apparatuses described in this disclosure furthermay comprise a touch screen display 50. The touch screen display 50serves as both an input device for the collection of data from thesystem user and the output device for displaying, for example,information relating to the user's health goal status or system status.Touch screen 50 displays a series of user interfaces (UI) 52 which serveto facilitate the collection and display of information between the userand the system 100.

The user data may be collected by various means. As illustrated on FIG.1, the onboarding process can be initiated by the user through userinterface 52 or remotely, for example, by means of a personal computer63 or mobile devices 62 that are connected to the system 100 by, forexample, WI-FI, Bluetooth or NFC/RFID. Each remote device may alsoinclude its own respective user interface that facilitates submission ofthe user data.

In order to further facilitate the exchange of information, as shown onFIG. 2, microphone 64 can be utilized to input verbal commands to system100 and speakers 66 can be utilized to communicate choices and otherinformation to the user. Verbal commands via microphone 66 would betranslated using speech recognition software into instructions thatcould be interpreted by the nutrient recommendation engine 55.Additionally, the beverage delivery apparatus according the presentdisclosure may also contain a camera for further enhancing the exchangeof information and the user experience.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure the user is askedto go through an onboarding process where the user will provide theinformation, for example, regarding their name, age, gender, height,weight, and to fill out a health, wellness & goal assessmentquestionnaire.

The user may also submit a sample of their DNA (via saliva, stool,blood) for genome and microbiome sequencing through various providers,for example, Ubiome or Orig3n. The genome and microbiome sequencing isused to determine predispositions dictated by the users' geneticnutritional profile and microbiome characterization.

The user may also submit a blood and/or biological sample for diagnosticanalysis through third party providers in order to receive more detailedinformation about the user's clinical chemistry, diseases, diseaseprocesses, and susceptibility.

The information provided by the above analysis may be submitted by theuser through the touch screen display 50, user interface on the mobiledevice or supplied directly by the third-party analysis providerdirectly to the data center 58.

Yet another method of generating the user data can be bio-sensingwearable devices, for example, Apple® iWatch, Fitbit® or other similardevices that are capable of collecting the user's bio-data andtransmitting the user data to the data center 58.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user data can be alsocollected through non-wearable sensors outputs, for example digitalweight and body fat percentage scales, digital glucose level measurementdevices, and alike.

The user may also input nutrition information through, for example, userinterfaces (UI) 52 of the apparatuses or the mobile device 62. Thenutrition information may include, for example meals consumed or foodcalories intake. There are various mobile application that allow theuser to determined the specific calories count in a food item. Thisnutrition information then submitted to the data center 58 in order tobe analyzed by the nutrient recommendation engine 55 and integrated inits calculations, projections and/or recommendations.

The wearable devices may also aid in the input of the user data. Forexample, the wearable devices may provide food calories, macro andmicronutrient “output,” i.e. calories expanded during an exerciseroutine, the micronutrient lost via perspiration, the protein requiredfor muscular construction.

Environmental data (pollution, humidity, level of pollen, bio hazards,and the like) could also be used as part of the user data. For instance,the high level of pollution in the air could increase the content ofanti-oxidants inside the drink that specific day to counter effect theenvironmental condition.

The nutrient recommendation engine 55 analyzes these information inputsto recommend a range of vitamins, minerals, macronutrients, pro andprebiotics, herbs and specialty nutrients, for example, Omega-3 for theuser to consume in order for the user to achieve the present health,fitness and other personal goals.

FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the present disclosure, where thesystem 100 delivers to the user the customized beverage. The nutrientrecommendation engine 55 is configured to provide the user apersonalized action plan (e.g. a combination of a diet regimen,nutrition regimen, supplements/vitamins, and physical fitness). Thepersonalized action plan may also include a schedule and the nutritionregimen, e.g., of when to take the specific nutrients, what combination,and in what quantity. There is also may be a fitness regimen, based onthe user's genome report and other user data.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the nutrient recommendationengine 55 is configured to analyze the user's longitudinal andhistorical data, from for example, diagnostic testing and EHR/EMRs,through predictive analytics models to identify behavioral andphysiological patterns and to measure resulting outcomes. The predictiveanalytics model uses identified patterns to forecast the positive and/ornegative trajectory of a pattern and predict how the pattern will impactthe user's wellness, typically over longer periods of time (months toyears). The nutrient recommendation engine 55 improves the confidence offorecasts generated by the model over time by employing a closedfeedback loop to measure the accuracy of previous predictions based onthe data that was available at the time of the forecast against the datathat was collected during the forecast.

The nutrient recommendation engine 55 learning techniques are employedby the nutrient recommendation engine 55 to predict certain healthoutcomes for supplements' recommendations from data with significantlysmaller sample size of historical data. The nutrient recommendationengine 55 absorbs real-time, high resolution user generated data, forexample, from bio-sensing wearables to analyze the difference betweenthe intended impacts of a nutritional recommendation on the user'shealth and the real-world measurements and outcomes. The nutrientrecommendation engine 55 determines the degree of accuracy of therecommendation and measures its effectiveness over time to validate ormodify the calculations behind the recommendation.

As discussed in this disclosure, the user data captured through variousdata sources such as bio-sensing wearables, EHR/EMRs, clinical records,health/fitness/wellness applications, health dataaggregators/repositories/device data stores (such as Google Fit, AppleHealth, Samsung S Health, Microsoft Health) that are connected to thedata center 58 are aggregated by the nutrient recommendation engine 55.The resolution of this data can range from historical to real-timeintervals. When new data is received from the data sources described inthis disclosure or later developed, the nutrient recommendation engine55 generates a record of the previous values and updates the user's dataprofile with the most recent values and measurements. The engine 55utilizes updated data values and measurements to automatically and inreal-time adjust the user's nutrient consumption and recommendations by,for example, increasing or decreasing the quantities of nutrients anddietary supplements, adding or removing nutrients, or altering thetiming of consumption.

The capacity of the system 100 to adapt immediately to changes, allowscreating a unique health signature.

For the nutrition regimen, the user may be provided with customizeddietary and nutraceutical supplements through the system 100 multipletimes throughout the day, preferably when the user wakes up, after eachmeal, before, during, and after fitness exercise, and before sleep.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to calculate theprecise quantity of nutrients the user's body requires to achieve theuser's goals (e.g. preset parameters), the nutrient recommendationengine 55 utilizes the Nutrient Balance Concept (NBC).

The NBC was developed using the USDA Food Composition Database (Release27) and illustrated with the MyPlate 7-day sample menus for a 2000calorie food pattern. The NBC concept is centered on three specificmetrics for a given food, meal or diet—a Qualifying Index (QI), aDisqualifying Index (DI) and a Nutrient Balance (NB). The QI and DI weredetermined, respectively, from the content of 27 essential nutrients and6 nutrients associated with negative health outcomes. The third metric,the Nutrient Balance (NB), was derived from the Qualifying Index (QI)and provided key information on the relative content of qualifyingnutrients in the food. Because the Qualifying and Disqualifying Indices(QI and DI) were standardized to energy content, both become constantsfor a given food/meal/diet and a particular consumer age group, makingit possible to develop algorithms for predicting nutrition quality whencombining different foods. Combining different foods into compositemeals and daily diets led to improved nutrition quality as seen by QIvalues closer to unity (indicating nutrient density was betterequilibrated with energy density), DI values below 1.0 (denoting anacceptable level of consumption of disqualifying nutrients) andincreased NB values (signifying complementarity of foods and betterprovision of qualifying nutrients).

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a modified NBC approach,Mixfit Balance Concept (MBC) is used in order to calculate the precisequantity of nutrients the user's body requires to achieve his or hergoals. NBC score is modified by integrating specific energy (Kcal) andnutrients (mg) derived from onboarding process or other means from theuser.

According to this embodiment, i.e. MBC, the following formulas are usedin order to calculate the qualifying index (QI) and disqualifying index(DI):

${QI} = {\frac{E_{d}}{E_{p}} \cdot \frac{\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{N_{q}}\frac{a_{q,j}}{r_{q,j}}}{N_{q}}}$${DI} = {\frac{E_{d}}{E_{p}} \cdot \frac{\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{N_{d}}\frac{a_{d,j}}{r_{d,j}}}{N_{d}}}$

whereinEd: daily energy needs of the specific user for the specific dayEp: Energy in the amount of the meal analyzedAq,j: amount of qualifying nutrients in the food analyzed (mg/day)Ad,j; amount of disqualifying nutrients in the food analyzed (mg/day)R q,j: Adaptive DRI of qualifying nutrients (mg/day)R d,j: MRV of disqualifying nutrients (mg/day)Nq: Number of qualifying nutrients consideredNd: number of disqualifying nutrients considered.

In addition, the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), estimated averagerequirements published by Food and Nutrition Board, Institute ofMedicine, National Academics may be used in order to determine therequired daily intake of every user and adjust the NBC as furtherdescribed below. The DRIs are measured in milligrams (mg). The upperlimits (UL) of DRIs function as limitations and never surpassed. Whensupplements are provided in combination (mixed beverage) it is importantto have a range of tolerance which is defined between DRI and UL.

For example, the basic DRI for a single user can be adjusted as follows:

-   -   Physical activities would ADD nutrients requirements    -   Physical conditions would MODIFY nutrients requirements    -   Allergies would MODIFY nutrients requirements    -   Diets (e.g., vegan-paleo-etc.) would ADD nutrients requirements

With respect to energy represented in kilocalories (Kcal), the BasicMetabolic Rate (BMR) is used to calculate the precise quantity ofnutrients the user's body requires to achieve his or her goals andadjust the NBC as further described below. The Mifflin-St Jeor formulapublished by American Dietetic Association (ADA) can be chosen tocalculate BMR of the user. The formula for men and women is presentedbelow:

-   -   Men

10×weight (kg)+6.25×height (cm)−5×age(y)+5

-   -   Women

10×weight (kg)+6.25×height (cm)−5×age(y)−161

If the user does not use the activity tracker, such as Fitbit® oriWatch®, the level of activities can be established by a preset value.For example, based on the user's onboarding questioner, the followingcan be used as the determination of level of activity.

Activity Type LAF Sedentary 1.2 Light 1.375 Moderate 1.55 Active 1.725Very Active 1.9

The daily calorific need (DCN) is then calculated as follows:

DCN=BMR×LAF

Once the DCN (Kcal) is calculated a desired amount of nutrients(proteins, fats, and the like) can be obtained based on the user'spreset goals. The DCN calculated in Kcal can then be converted intograms.

Accordingly, when the user employs wearable devices, LAF can beautomatically calculated. When wearable devices are used LAF is usuallybetween 1 and 2. This allows calculate the correct amount of caloriesneeded to achieve user's goals (personalized caloric intake) in reallime.

It is understood that the present invention is not limited to utilizingthe NBC or modified NBC, MBC, described in the previous paragraphs. Itis further understood that the nutrient recommendation engine 55 mayutilize various concepts, methods and/or algorithms, alone or incombination in order to calculate the precise quantity and/or volume ofsupplements the user requires to achieve his or her goals. Other knownmethods are: DRI (daily required Intake), NRV (nutrient reference value)or any other publicly disclosed or of privately owned method.

After a period of time the user may submit the blood sample for analysisto verify if the supplements are having their intended effects and theuser is achieving the intended results. The blood analysis shows thecurrent level of nutrient needs of user's body.

Also, preferably, the blood analysis and microbiome sequence should beperformed regularly, and preferably, in six months intervals in order toverify that the supplements recommendations by the nutrientrecommendation engine 55 are having the intended effects.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to beincluded within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dispensing system for delivering a beveragewith customized quantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements, thedispensing system comprising: a beverage delivery apparatus having aplurality of storage compartments each configured to store at least oneseed capsule, wherein each seed capsule contains dietary andnutraceutical supplements, and wherein each of the storage compartmentsfurther comprising: a dispensing unit having a top portion, a bottomportion and a measuring assembly, wherein the top portion has a firstend and the bottom portion has a hinge end and a piercing end, and thefirst end of the top portion connects the top portion to the bottomportion at the hinge end of the bottom portion, and wherein the topportion is configured to receive the seed capsule and the bottom portionhas a funneling part configured to receive and dispense the dietary andnutraceutical supplements contained within the seed capsule when the topportion having the seed capsule connected with the funneling part of thebottom portion and the dispensing unit pivots to dispense the dietaryand nutraceutical supplements contained within the seed capsule into areceiving unit, and wherein the measuring assembly comprises a motor andan auger screw, wherein motor is configured to rotate the auger screwthereby collecting predetermined quantiles of the dietary andnutraceutical supplements by the means of known number of terms that areneeded in order to collect and dispense an exact amount of the dietaryand nutraceutical supplements; a receiving chamber configured to receivethe dietary and nutraceutical supplements from the dispensing unit andto blend the dietary and nutraceutical supplements with a liquid; acontroller for controlling dispensing of the customized quantities ofdietary and nutraceutical supplements; a cloud-base data center thatcomprises a nutrient recommendation engine which is configured tocollect and analyze a user data, categorize the user data and tocommunicate with the dispensing unit through the controller a type and adosage of the dietary and nutraceutical supplement to be dispensed intothe receiving unit based on the user data.
 2. The dispensing systemaccording to claim 1, further comprising at least one mobile deviceconnected with the cloud-base data center and configured to communicatethe user data to the cloud-base data center.
 3. The dispensing systemaccording to claim 1, further comprising at least one monitoring deviceconnected with the cloud-base data center and configured to communicatethe user data to the cloud-base data center in real time.
 4. Thedispensing system according to claim 3, wherein the at least onemonitoring device is capable of collecting the user's bio-data in realtime, wherein the user's bio-data comprises bioenergy and nutrientsconsumption, bioenergy and nutrients intake, heart rate and/or physicalactivity.
 5. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein theuser data comprises information on biometrics data, direct and indirectinput on food consumption, nutritional goals and activities.
 6. Thedispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the nutrientrecommendation engine configured to create a personalized nutrient mixregimen profile and to provide specific recommendation of a mix of thedietary and nutraceutical supplements based on the personalized nutrientmix regimen profile of the user and the user data.
 7. The dispensingsystem according to claim 1, further comprising a user identificationcomponent.
 8. The dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein thebeverage delivery apparatus further comprises a user interfaceconfigured to allow the user to input the user data and/or approve adelivery of a consumable beverage by the dispensing system.
 9. Adispensing apparatus for delivering a beverage with customizedquantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements and flavor in singleand/or multi-serve configurations, the apparatus comprising: a capsuleassembly that contains the supplements; a plurality of dispensing unitsconfigured to deliver a mixture of the dietary and nutraceuticalsupplements from the capsule assembly; a single-serve assemblyconfigured to dispense a single serving of the dietary and nutraceuticalsupplements into the beverage; at least one flavoring componentconfigured to deliver a flavored ingredient to the beverage; a liquidcontainer; and a cup.
 10. A dispensing system for delivering a beveragewith customized quantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements, thedispensing system comprising: the apparatus of claim 9; a cloud-basedata center configured to collect and analyze a user data, categorizethe user data and to communicate with the apparatus through a controllera type and a dosage of the dietary and nutraceutical supplement to bedispensed based on the user data; a nutrient recommendation engine whichuses a modified Nutrient Balance Concept (NBC) having a qualifying index(QI) and a disqualifying index (DI) calculated by formula (I) andformula (II): $\begin{matrix}{{QI} = {\frac{E_{d}}{E_{p}} \cdot \frac{\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{N_{q}}\frac{a_{q,j}}{r_{q,j}}}{N_{q}}}} & (I) \\{{DI} = {\frac{E_{d}}{E_{p}} \cdot \frac{\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{N_{d}}\frac{a_{d,j}}{r_{d,j}}}{N_{d}}}} & ({II})\end{matrix}$ wherein E_(d): daily energy needs of the specific user forthe specific day, E_(p): Energy in the amount of the meal analyzed,A_(q,j): amount of qualifying nutrients in the food analyzed (mg/day),A_(d,j); amount of disqualifying nutrients in the food analyzed(mg/day), R_(q,j): Adaptive DRI of qualifying nutrients (mg/day),R_(d,j): MRV of disqualifying nutrients (mg/day), N_(q): Number ofqualifying nutrients considered, and N_(d): number of disqualifyingnutrients considered; at least one mobile device connected with thecloud-base data center and configured to communicate the user data tothe cloud-base data center; and at least one monitoring device connectedwith the cloud-base data center and configured to communicate the userdata to the cloud-base data center in real time.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 9, wherein each dispensing unit of the plurality of dispensingunits comprises: a drawer slidably connected to a support; a first guideand a second guide configured to receive an identification technologyand a locking mechanism of the capsule assembly, respectively, and theidentification technology formed to be received by a detector; a dosingscrew that terminates in a dispensing outlet; and a bracket configuredto fixedly attach the dispensing unit to the apparatus.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the flavoring component comprises a flavorhousing; an exoskeleton, the exoskeleton is configured to receive aflavor pouch, wherein the flavor housing has a pressure inlet and apressure control outlet configured to increase and control pressure tobypass a counter pressure valve of the flavor pouch and release thepredetermined volume of a flavoring.
 13. A method for producing anddispensing customized quantities of dietary and nutraceuticalsupplements for a user of a dispensing system, comprising: collecting auser data from at least one monitoring device, wherein the user datacomprises gender, age, weight, height genetic data, personal goals,bioenergy and nutrients consumption, bioenergy and nutrients intake, andhealth data, wherein some of the user data is collected in real-timethrough the monitoring device connected to a cloud-based data center;determining the nutrition recommendation parameters of dietary andnutraceutical supplements based on the user data; communicating thenutrition recommendation parameters to a controller of the dispensingsystem; and dispensing dietary and nutraceutical supplements to the userby the dispensing system, wherein the dispensing system comprises: abeverage delivery apparatus having a dispensing unit and a plurality ofstorage compartments each configured to store at least one seed capsule,wherein each seed capsule contains dietary and nutraceuticalsupplements, and a cloud-base data center that comprises a nutrientrecommendation engine which is configured to collect and analyze theuser data, categorize the user data and to communicate with thedispensing unit through the controller a type and a dosage of thedietary and nutraceutical supplement to be dispensed into the receivingunit based on the user data.
 14. The method according to claim 13,wherein the nutrient recommendation engine configured to create apersonalized nutrient mix regimen profile and to provide specificrecommendation of a mix of the dietary and nutraceutical supplementsbased on the personalized nutrient mix regimen profile of the user andthe user data.
 15. The method according to claim 13, wherein thebeverage delivery apparatus further comprises a user interfaceconfigured to allow the user to input the user data.
 16. The methodaccording to claim 13, wherein the user data comprises information onbiometrics data, direct and indirect input on food consumption,nutritional goals and activities.
 17. The method according to claim 13,wherein the dispensing system further comprising at least one mobiledevice connected to the cloud-base data center and configured tocommunicate the user data to the cloud-base data center.
 18. The methodaccording to claim 13, wherein the nutrient recommendation engine uses amodified Nutrient Balance Concept (NBC) having a qualifying index (QI)and a disqualifying index (DI) calculated by formula (I) and formula(II): $\begin{matrix}{{QI} = {\frac{E_{d}}{E_{p}} \cdot \frac{\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{N_{q}}\frac{a_{q,j}}{r_{q,j}}}{N_{q}}}} & ({II}) \\{{DI} = {\frac{E_{d}}{E_{p}} \cdot \frac{\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{N_{d}}\frac{a_{d,j}}{r_{d,j}}}{N_{d}}}} & ({II})\end{matrix}$ wherein E_(d): daily energy needs of the specific user forthe specific day, E_(p): Energy in the amount of the meal analyzed,A_(q,j): amount of qualifying nutrients in the food analyzed (mg/day),A_(d,j): amount of disqualifying nutrients in the food analyzed(mg/day), R_(q,j): Adaptive DRI of qualifying nutrients (mg/day),R_(d,j): MRV of disqualifying nutrients (mg/day), N_(q): Number ofqualifying nutrients considered, and N_(d): number of disqualifyingnutrients considered.